THE SMUT OF OATS 



393 



The Smut of Oats.^ — The Smut of the Oats is probably the 

 most common and destructive one of the Smut group. The 

 mycelium of the Oat Smut gets started in the tissues of the Oat 

 plant when the latter is in the seedling stage, and at flowering 



Fig. 350. — Loose Smut of Oats. Left, normal head; right, head 

 destroyed by Smut. After Bulletin 112, Miimesota Agr. Exp. Sta. 



time it masses in the ovaries, which become swollen and finally 

 destroyed and replaced by masses of spores {Fig. 350). A 



' The following references will be found helpful in understanding the 

 smuts and methods of combatting them. 



The Grain Smuts. Farmers' Bulletin 75, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1898. 



Corn Smut. Annual Report 12, Indiana Agr. Exp. Sta., 1900. 



The prevention of Stinking Smut of Wheat and Loose Smut of Oats. Farm- 

 ers' Bulletin 250, U. S. Dept. Agriculture, 1906. 



The Smuts of Grain plants. Bulletin 122, Miimesota Agr. Exp. Sta., 1911. 



The Smuts of ^\^^[cat, Oats, Barley, and Corn. Farmers' Bulletin 507, U. S. 

 Dept. Agriculture, 1912. 



Bunt or Stinking Smut of \\lioat. Bulletin 126, Washington Agr. Exp. Sta., 

 1915. 



